Theatre building wins awards

The $7.9 million facility, completed in 2004, was named a Project of Distinction in CollegePlanning & Management magazine's Education Design Showcase competition. The building was featured in the June issue of the magazine.

The August issue of American School & University (AS&U) magazine also featured the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center. The facility earned a Silver Citation in the publication's 2005 Educational Interiors Showcase.

In September, the building received the Masonry Institute of Iowa's Award of Merit.

Judges for AS&U applauded Cannon Moss Brygger & Associates for their "attractive, flexible adaptive reuse" of the former Multi-Purpose Auditorium, saying the building's aesthetic supports the craft of the theatre.

The 52,000-square-foot facility consolidates all functions of Northwestern's nationally recognized theatre department into one highly visible campus location. The building includes two theatres: a proscenium theatre, with fixed seating and a stage/orchestra pit, and a black box theatre that allows for a variety of production styles.